MXT For Me?

[Bearbait]

Hi, I've never swung a metal detector but am looking to buy one. I want a good machine and don't want to have to upgrade. I have been considering the MXT. I will be using it to find stuff around old mining and trapping cabins and looking for gold. I want a machine that is easy to use. Is the MXT a good machine for me? Will the coil it comes with do what I need? Would the coil that comes with the MXT 300 be better? Thanks
Dale

 

[Monte]

Hi, I've never swung a metal detector but am looking to buy one. I want a good machine and don't want to have to upgrade. I have been considering the MXT.

Dale, you're considering a great hobby, an most definitely the best brand out there. But I'll guarantee you that at some point, in the near future or distant, you're going to want to "upgrade." What many of us do is have at least 2 or 3 detectors so that we're set for a variety of sites and applications.

I will be using it to find stuff around old mining and trapping cabins and looking for gold.

If you want to find "stuff" then you're starting out with a good attitude. That's how I started, basically, back in the spring of '65. While I especially wanted to find old coins, 'STUFF' was going to be satisfying. Neat old artifacts such as coins, trade tokens, jewelry, buttons, bullets, pocket watches, thimbles, and the list goes on and on.

But I will caution you that the search for gold nuggets isn't an easy one. It takes a good deal of patience, and time, to master your detector and coil selection. Time to do some research and make sure you're in a nugget-producing area. Old mining and logging "camps" can be poor to so-so, and only occasionally good producers as you need to have ample human activity that can generate target loss. Prolonged activity, not just brief periods of use. I tend to concentrate on what developed as mining and logging 'towns.'

Then, too, just because a site can be considered a long-ago mining camp, logging town or other ghost town certainly doesn't mean it will be very rewarding. You might be the lucky one to be first, or one of the first, to hunt it. It's going to take being the first, or one of the first, toe SERIOUSLY hunt it with a lot of time and patience. but I'll guarantee you that it can be rewarding.

I want a machine that is easy to use. Is the MXT a good machine for me?

The MXT can be a great choice. It definitely is capable of finding gold nuggets, and can hold its own for hunting those long-ago sites that tend to have a fair amount of iron nails and other small and annoying rust junk.

Will the coil it comes with do what I need?

Most likely not. The stock 950 is a bit large for hunting in and around brush, building rubble, rocks and other environment challenges. As a rule, you're going to want to use a smaller coil. My personal favorite from White's is their 5.3 Eclipse which is a 6

 

[Nancy-IL]

I love my MXT and have had it for years. NEVER wanting to upgrade to something like my hubby has (DFX and Minelab). It's already "got it" and so much easier to use than his DFX, etc. I can keep up with the best. I wouldn't trade mine for anything else. It's an easy turn on and go machine, very little learning curve and the standard coil that comes with the MXT is a great all around coil. Many here don't like it, but it does go deep and there is separation of junk if you go slow. There's so many coils that you can get for the machine, but I think you'll be very happy with the stock coil. Personally I think the MXT 300's coil is too big for almost all of my type of hunting. I like to go in parks, private yards, schools, etc. JMHO and good luck with your choice. HH, Nancy

 

[BarberBill]

I agree with Nancy - no need to upgrade from the MXT. In the future you may (or not) wish to add another detector for specific purposes, but the MXT will do a pretty good job of it all. I do use a lighter, quicker handling machine from another maker for competition hunts where the power of the MXT isn't needed, but the MXT would handle that as well if it were all I had.
Jump in and enjoy the hobby.
HH
BB

 

[Phil]

At the sites I hunt the 12in coil on the 300 is too big. the stock 9 1/2in coil on the MXT is as large as I would want. A good second coil would be the 5.3 Elipse, it has outstanding depth for it's size and weeds thru the trash better than the stock coil As for outgrowing the MXT, I have had mine since the MXT came out and it is still my favorite all around detector. I have owned many detectors and have 6 now but the MXT is the most versatile and the one I grab when I want to detect and not worry about changing settings or programs. I prefer to use DD coils on my MXT but that is because I want the better ground coverage and am not concerned about max depth.

 

[Bearbait]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The cabin sites I want to look around are in remote Alaska and require a plane or a 4 day horse trip to access. I realize finding nuggets will not be easy but I have a pretty good idea where to look. I am spending the winter trapping out of a remote lodge (with some modern conveniences like satelite internet) in the Wrangle mountains and am due to fly out in a month but would like to come back in the summer and do some playing around. Thanks again.